Blade Electric Vehicles Unhappy Over Government Preference For i-MiEV

     So it seems that the governments decision to lease a trial fleet of 40 electric vehicles has met with some response other than shrugging after all.
     The director of Blade Electric Vehicles is (understandably) upset that the government has entered into an agreement to lease 40 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs, rather than Blade Electrons.  While I sympathise with him, and think it would be nice to see the government supporting an Australian company, it's readily apparent to me why they haven't.
     The Electron simply doesn't have the visual impact of the i-MiEV.  I doubt very much that such things as performance and cost (two areas where Mr Blade states the Electron betters the i-MiEV) even entered into the equation.  With a fleet of only 40 cars I'd imagine the only thing the government wants from the test fleet is positive press.  Due to the shortcuts taken in creating the Electron - it's a Hyundai Getz retrofitted with an electric powertrain - the vehicles would go completely unnoticed on the road.

Blade Electron

Mitsubishi i-MiEV

     Pretty clear which one of these stands out more.  Maybe BEV should invest in some ugly bolt on fibreglass panels to make their vehicle look more techy.